US-based telecom operator AT&T announced the setting up of an edge computing test zone in Palo Alto, California, for developers and other companies to test connected applications such as self-driving cars, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR), and drones.
The test zone for edge computing will go live in early 2018. At launch, the zone will use a 4G LTE connection. “We expect to upgrade it to 5G once the final standards and equipment are ready, perhaps as early as the end of 2018,” said Melissa Arnoldi, president, AT&T Technology and Operations.
AT&T installs graphics processors and other computers in cell towers, small cells and other parts of the network that are never more than a few miles from customers as part of its edge computing strategy to improve customer experience.
5G’s low latency will allow AT&T to run high-end applications in the cloud, and 5G users will feel like it’s all happening right on their device.
AT&T feels that developers will be testing projects related to AR/VR, drones, and autonomous cars at the Palo Alto test zone. “We’ll help them get connected to our network and turn their concepts into prototypes. We’ll also explore potential business models for these new services,” Melissa Arnoldi said.
“Our goal in this experiment is to find the right architecture, the right services and the right business value in this ecosystem,” said Igal Elbaz, head of the AT&T Foundry.
